Horror Game Designer Chapter 12: Idea

Black stains covered the ground. The sound of nail scratching signified that something was approaching. Han Fei left Room 2706 and knocked on Room 2707. “Teacher Yao, I’m Xiao Gao from the fourth floor. We talked about planting flowers in the past.”

“Why won’t you listen to me?” The investigator was anxious seeing this. “The corridor is very dangerous! The neighbours might have been swapped out. We could run into ghosts at any moment! Get back!”

“The elder in Room 2707 is heavily ill, but…”

“There’s no but!” The investigator grabbed Gao Ming’s collar. “Don’t think about saving others when you’re caught in an anomaly. You should be thankful to escape alive. Bring out useful info, and that will be our biggest contribution to the city!”

He pulled, but Gao Ming wouldn’t budge. “Stop being a saint! You don’t understand how scary this is! You’ll get everyone killed!”

Gao Ming didn’t want to waste time explaining. He grabbed the doorknob, and his voice chilled. “Teacher Yao, I know you’re in there. If you don’t open the door, I’ll knock it down.”

The investigator wanted to say something more, but what Gao Ming said gave him pause.

The doorknob turned, and the old door was pushed open. Teacher Yao looked at Gao Ming through his glasses. “Come in.”

“Don’t enter random people’s houses! If the neighbour has been killed by ghosts, then we will face…” Before he could finish, he was dragged into Room 2707 by Gao Ming. He looked at the closed down with an open mouth.

“I got your message. I’ve shut down the camera and microphone.” Teacher Yao covered the camera with his black-gloved hand.

“This is an emergency, so I’ll cut it short.” Gao Ming took out Zhao Xi’s phone. “I suspect the normal-looking neighbours in the chatgroup. They are all fake. They only appear in the chatgroup.”

“You are in a chatgroup without me knowing?” The investigator was shocked.

“I don’t get it. Are you and me not real?” Teacher Yao was a police academy teacher. He had experienced many things, but the incidents that night had exceeded his expectations.

“If we compare this to a horror game, the three of us are its players. The other neighbours might be something else, or they could be something made by the phone to cheat us.” Gao Ming stared at the video. “Zhao Xi’s body is climbing to the fifth floor. After he enters Room 2501, Huang Mingming’s home, we’ll enter Room 2607. If the tenant, Jia Qi, is different from how she appears on the video, then my hypothesis is correct.”

“Are we breaking and entering?” Teacher Yao’s wrinkles folded together. The investigator’s scar twitched.

“If we stay here, we’ll eventually be caught by Zhao Xi. If I have to pick a way to die, I wish to die on the way to save myself.” Gao Ming couldn’t confirm Teacher Yao’s identify. If he were a ghost, then Gao Ming’s hypothesis was all wrong. Therefore, he wanted to return to Room 2607. This way, he would be closer to Zhao Xi. He was very careful.

“Are you a bit rash?” The investigator had met other normal people who had been wrapped into anomalies before, but he had not met anyone like Gao Ming. “There are ghosts outside! You’ll be killed!”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea too.” Teacher Yao coughed, “ Why don’t we run down the staircase and escape Li Jing Apartments to ask for help from people outside while the dead body is inside Room 2501? I believe there will be people who know how to deal with this in the city.”

“There is, but isn’t he trapped here too?” Gao Ming walked past the investigator. Through the curtain of rain, he looked at his home across the yard. He thought to himself, ‘I only brought one blank death portrait with me. If I brought my ‘family portrait’ into the game with me, would they appear with more cakes? I should try it next time.’

A scream came from Zhao Xi’s phone. Gao Ming lowered his head to look. Room 2501’s Huang Mingming was shouting. The neighbours died one after another. The mounting pressure was strong. Huang Mingming’s nerves were cut by knives. He shouted at the camera. Room 2501’s Huang Mingming, “I hear the nails scratching the door! Zhao Xi’s head is hanging outside my door! Help me! We’ve been neighbours for decades. Please help me!”

No matter how hard Huang Mingming cried for help, the remaining neighbours didn’t answer. Huang Mingming picked up the fruit knife from the table. “You’ll all be caught too! You’ll face karma!”

The lock appeared to be a decoration. Blood flowed into the door. The door slowly opened, and fingers squeezed in through the gap. Extreme fear triggered Huang Mingming. He screamed and shouted as he waved the knife around. The investigator and Teacher Yao were captivated by the video. They shook with fear.

“Don’t just stand there. Be ready to get to the sixth floor!” Gao Ming looked through Teacher Yao’s toolbox. “We only have one chance!”

“Are we really going? Be rational!”

“I’m very rational.” Gao Ming led the two to the sixth floor. The phone showed a video of Huang Mingming fighting with the dead body on the fifth floor, but the corridor was absolutely silent. Even Teacher Yao felt like something was wrong. Gao Ming didn’t have to say anything as Teacher Yao took out the tool to break down the door of Room 2607. In the chatgroup, Huang Mingming was crazed witless. His phone fell on the couch, and he waved the fruit knife around madly.

“Why are you doing this since you’ve killed yourself? If you dare, go after those who bullied you! No wonder you were a loser all your life!” Black blood splattered around the living room. Zhao Xi’s broken body slithered on the ground. Huang Mingming held the knife with both hands and cut the space around him. The clothes and skin were cut open. However, Huang Mingming couldn’t stop Zhao Xi from approaching him.

The bones cracked. Zhao Xi’s body opened like a broken mouth. The shadow spread. Huang Mingming couldn’t stop it. He was almost consumed by Zhao Xi’s skin. This scary scene shocked the investigator and Gao Ming. Huang Mingming, in the video, continued to struggle, but it was futile. His legs moved uncontrollably towards the balcony as his arms were slowly covered by Zhao Xi’s skin.

“Let me go, Zhao Xi! I know I’m wrong! I shouldn’t have said that you stole from the company docks!” The broken bones cut into the man’s hand. Huang Mingming was forced to open the window. The storm instantly drenched Huang Mingming’s face. He pleaded for mercy, but his body slowly climbed to the balcony. Perhaps this was how it was for Zhao Xi a few days ago.

“Zhao Xi, put me down! Put me down!”

Hearing Huang Mingming’s request, Zhao Xi helped Huang Mingming fall out of the window.

The investigator’s hands chilled. The ghost in this building was scarier than he thought. “Such a corporeal ghost wouldn’t appear in a normal anomaly. We’re in big trouble this time!”

Teacher Yao and Gao Ming worked together to pry open the door of Room 2607. They looked into the room together. A heavy layer of dust covered the furniture. It was fully dark in the room, like it had been deserted for many months already.

“The neighbours in the video are all fake. The murders we saw were faked too. Those are the reflection in Zhao Xi’s heart.” Teacher Yao looked at Gao Ming impressively. “You got everything right!”

“What do you plan to do next?” The investigator turned to Gao Ming.

Gao Ming exited the chatgroup and looked through Zhao Xi’s phone. There were many videos that he had captured about his life. Videos about his sister-in-law playing with the kids and his adopted mother cooking in the kitchen. Zhao Xi wanted to join them, but he was held back by the rumours. Also, his sister-in-law and mother hated him who was incapacitated.

Other than some life-related videos, the lonely middle-aged man would take videos of himself too. No one would look at these videos of him talking to him. The phone became his best listener. The electronic data comforted him. In a way, the phone was indeed more like his only family.

“I have a brave idea.” Gao Ming looked at the dark staircase and said as if to himself, “I wish to chat with the victim.”